Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-01-20
GOOD OLD SMOKE
Charming Little Story of General Gus
ter's Last Tragic March.

s.
rer's Last Tragic March,
When yoH hear this story YOU will see
how appropriate his name is. The
small. weii-built terrier living there. ON
the Turkish rug, IN spot of sunlight
that brings out the silver in his dark
hair beautifully. and makes the parting
on ms head ike i fine line of silk.
Smoke, old boy, look up. Where did
you come from? Who are You. Snloke2
Do you remember the captain ; whistle?
All! good old fellow. good dog: of
course you do. There now. lie down
again and shut Your eyes while tell the
young people your story, and how YOU
got your name
General Custer had started forth on
that last tragic march Of his Smokes
mistress. the VII. # General Terr-v's
aide-de-camp. has Just been telling me
OF the strange. sad morning when she
and some other ladies of the camp stood
and watched the line OF men going cut.
The sound of the march came in
peculiar, pitiful wild music from the In
dian scouts who headed the little army.
They were singing their death song"
with which they always 20 to battle.
and 1t must be heard to be appreciated.
50 weird and strange and wild IL is.
and while the scouts. with their
var-colored flags iying. ride bv.
grooming, chanting. singing, one
can fancy a plain, darkened by
contendinG enemies. death riding
fiercely and cruelty. victor. here and
there. eontending grimlv with life on
every side. All YOU who have read the
story know that Custer and his forces.
contrary 20 first arrangements. pushed
on and met the Indians at Big Horn
meeting slaughter as well. The battle.
nearly all of whose records the grave
holds IN lis grasp OF eternal secrecy
was fought. and two days later Gen-
er,ai Terry's troop. marching down
upon the valley. found only the dead
emblems of the fight. There Law their
dead comrades-silent and alone. not Il
creature 10 be seen tar or near. but
away in the distance a shadowy outline
marks the vanishing Indian forces
Captain G., General Terrvs aid
de-camp. was one Of those who marked
the dead and gave them burial with all
the means of identification possible.
and II was while he was engaged in
this sad occupation. that looking up he
beheld near him a small dog-fierce in
expression for Il terrier. not duplicating
Sc wistful exactly. but bright-eved and
anCrv. The Captain would have caress-
Ell the little creature, but it trotted
away. He was followed to one of the
Indian tents where stark and cold Law
the dogs master-an Indian who had
crawle.I there to lie.
Il was impossible then 20 coax the
dog into any show Of friendline~s. but
late in the dav the Captain saw him
again aDpr1acIing-thi time the eyes
had lost their ierceness-thev were
sUbduet into something piTifui and
pleading as disre.car1inr the other off
GERS the little dog ran up 10 his
first friend and held out his
paw Then the Captain discovered
thar a cactus thorn had been i'm
bedded in il. and the dog with quick in
stinct had sought him To procure relief.
The thorn and ali the prejudice were
removed together. There was no
further question IF consultation. The
Captain adopted the dog then and there
and sent him home to MS vile. who.
because of the frrs he had come out Of
on the field of battle. christened him
Smoke
So Won see Smoke Is 4 sor- OF hero
now in MS Western home and is en-
iovjn@ m old age Of comfort and honor.
although the details If his career before
that dag Of battle never can be known.
He is q prre-bIooetad Scotch terrier.
quick. alert and sagacious. with one
pecGlliarirv. Nothing viii induce him
To make friends with strangers. LOYAL
and devoted to his mistress and
her immediate fam5lv-dignified and
tolerant of outsiders. Vet he
Is undrr no circumstances To be
beguiIed into demonstrations OF any
sort away from home and 1T the sur-
gestion even of a c:ress from Il stTan-
ner's hand will rise from his recJnn-
bert posture. give himself little shake
and in the most di-nified manner stalk
away, leaving YOU with . sense of Your
own impertinence N having attempted
any thing like intimacy with 81 eX-
elusive 4 canine sovereign Do you hear
all this Smoke. old bov2 All there.
vau are ready enough to get up and
wa~ vnur old tail and run 70 the win
dew. for Dorotha and Marguerite are
calling to YOU. Dorotha's eyes are
carer. her little golden rings of hair
dancing in the breeze. and L am sure
Smoke realizes that she too Is - Child
of the Regiment Lucy C. Lille, IN
Csaeaqo LRteT-OceG1a.